Cambridge A Level Business 9609
Business command words
A 9609 command word tells you how far the answer has to go — define it, explain it, analyse it or judge it — and the mark tariff beside it confirms how far that is worth taking. Answer the word you wish had been asked instead and the marks for the one that was are simply not there.
Across the 425 question parts on the 38 Business papers Quanta holds, the most common command is Explain (126 parts, always at 3 marks), then Analyse (92) and Evaluate (76).
Updated 28 September 2026
Every command word, and where it appears
“On real papers” counts the parts that open with each word, by mark tariff. “Reaches” is the highest assessment objective the word can earn at its usual tariff.
| Word | What it asks for | On real papers | Reaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explain | Set out purposes or reasons. | 126 × 3m | AO2 Application |
| Analyse | Break it down and build the chain of consequences. | 74 × 8m, 18 × 5m | AO3 Analysis |
| Evaluate | Weigh it up and reach a supported judgement. | 75 × 12m, 1 × 20m | AO4 Evaluation |
| Define | Give the precise meaning. | 54 × 2m | AO1 Knowledge |
| Calculate | Work out a value. Show your working. | 37 × 3m, 2 × 2m | AO2 Application |
| Identify | Name or pick out the answer. One word or phrase is enough. | 37 × 1m | AO1 Knowledge |
| Advise | Give a reasoned recommendation to the named party. | 1 × 20m | AO4 Evaluation |
| State | Give a short factual answer, no explanation. | — | AO1 Knowledge |
| Recommend | Choose an option and justify the choice. | — | AO4 Evaluation |
| Discuss | Set out both sides, then judge. | — | AO4 Evaluation |
State, Recommend, Discuss are command words Quanta marks against that did not open a part on the papers it holds, which are mostly AS Papers 1 and 2.
The tariff decides as much as the word
Every 9609 tariff carries a fixed split of marks across the four objectives, and a command word cannot earn marks the grid does not contain:
| Tariff | AO1 Knowledge | AO2 Application | AO3 Analysis | AO4 Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 marks | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| 5 marks | 1 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 8 marks | 2 | 2 | 4 | — |
| 12 marks | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 20 marks | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 |
So an “Explain” worth 3 marks has no analysis marks in it at all — one point, applied to the business, is the whole answer. An “Analyse” worth 8 carries no evaluation, so a conclusion earns nothing. And a 12-mark “Evaluate” puts half its marks on the judgement. How each grid is marked →
Where the marks go
- Define wants the precise meaning, not an example. A definition that describes the idea loosely gets partial credit at best.
- Explain one means one. A second point earns nothing and costs time; develop the first one in the business’s context instead.
- Analyse wants a chain — this causes that, which leads to the consequence for the business — not a list of separate points.
- Evaluate, Discuss, Recommend and Advise all want a judgement that is supported and specific to the business. A conclusion that could have been written about any business stays in the lower band.
- Calculate wants working. Write the formula and the substitution before the answer. Every formula you need →
Common questions
What is the most common command word in 9609 Business?
Explain: 126 of the 425 parts on the 38 papers Quanta holds open with it, mostly as a 3-mark question.
What is the difference between Analyse and Evaluate?
Analyse asks you to trace causes and consequences; Evaluate asks you to weigh them and reach a judgement. On 9609 an Analyse question (usually 8 marks) carries no evaluation marks at all, while a 12-mark Evaluate question puts 6 of its 12 marks on the judgement.
Does Discuss mean the same as Evaluate?
Near enough, in the marking: both reach AO4, so both need a supported judgement at the end. Discuss invites you to set out both sides first; Evaluate expects the weighing throughout.
Practise business command words against real mark schemes
Quanta has real Cambridge A Level Business 9609 past-paper questions, with the case study beside the answer boxes, every answer marked automatically against the published mark scheme objective by objective, and the reasoning shown — and it tracks which skills you’re missing. Free for individual students.
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